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Adult learners on the rise

Published: May 17, 2016

A growing number of adults are turning to the web to supplement their learning, according to new findings.

Research published by Coursera revealed that there has been a growing interest in flexible, career-relevant education among adults in the UK.

This has resulted in a 50 per cent rise in the the number of adults signing up for educational courses.

In addition, the study showed that over half a million UK learners are studying consistently throughout the day and that almost a third (30 per cent) access courses on their smartphones.

Speaking about the findings, Rick Levin, chief executive of Coursera and former President of Yale University, said: “Learning is not just an activity for the young anymore. Over 80 per cent of online learners on Coursera are over the age of 22. The most active online learners are professionals, mums, and dads with many commitments, and a desire to proactively make a significant change to their lives.”

The figures showed that half of enrollments from UK online learners are in career-boosting course categories such as business (18 per cent), computer science (16 per cent), and data science (13 per cent).

The report suggests that those who sign up for these types of courses can give participants the competitive edge over other applicants.

Mr Levin added: “Online courses are rapidly growing in reputation, and are being acknowledged as important and legitimate qualifications to help boost career progression. They provide accessible education across geographic boundaries and time zones, without compromising on teaching quality and credential recognition.”